The prospective Delaware Botanic Gardens (http://www.delawaregardens.org) has received the first major grant that could help make it a reality within two years.

The Longwood Foundation is giving the nonprofit group that's planning the Sussex County gardens $500,000, plus another $250,000 if the garden can match that half-million dollar gift.

Altogether, says gardens board VP Ray Sander, it's facilitating them raising $1.25 million of the $4.1 million they'll need to open their gates. Before this, he says they never had more than $100,000 on hand.

"Up until now we've just been fooling around with pictures and dreams and sketches," Sander says. "So now we have some money to start moving earth and start making a difference out there."

The gardens are set for a 38-acre parcel of woodlands and uplands along Pepper Creek near Dagsboro.

They'll be designed in part by Piet Oudolf, who crafted the High Line in New York City and other acclaimed gardens around the world. The site will also have a visitors center and outdoor classroom.

Sander says they're aiming to raise the money they need by summer 2017.

Delaware Botanic Gardens

The Delaware Botanic Gardens is a ten-year, multiphase plan to bring a sense of place to Delmarva with a major public garden that reflects southern Delaware’s unique coastal plain. Its mission is to create inspirational, educational, and sustainable gardens in Delaware for the benefit and enjoyment of residents and visitors alike. The gardens will be located on 37 acres along Piney Neck Road in Sussex County. The parcel has an ideal mix of farmland, woodland, and more than 1,000 feet of tidal waterfront on Pepper Creek.

DELAWARE BOTANIC GARDENS

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Stages of the garden's creation during the multiyear effort to Open the Garden Gates:

Groundbreaking

Build the basics

Begin programs

Enlarge the endowment

Purchase initial plantings and use donated plant materials

Install temporary modular buildings

Hire the initial staff

Grand opening

Develop individual gardens

Add special features

Finish plantings

Build the staff

Final stages

Complete large permanent structures

Fully staff all operations

This botanic garden will become a special place that will enhance the quality of life here in Sussex County. Our residents and our visitors will treasure this botanic garden, which will also serve to educate all to understand the value of conservation. In keeping with the overall mission of the SCLT, the Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek will enable us to pass on the best of our values to the next generation.